Updated predictions for this year now that enough of the season is underway to know generally where things stand:
West:
1. Golden State Warriors (duh)
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (2nd through about 10th in the West could really be a crapshoot but the Thunder seem to be rebounding nicely after an awful start, plus they'll eventually get Roberson back)
3. Utah Jazz (of all the teams off to slow starts theirs feels the least concerning, still a great defensive team and Mitchell hasn't really gotten going yet)
4. Denver Nuggets (don't think they'll stay second, but this young team has arrived and should be one of the favorites to take over in the West once the Warriors eventually crumble)
5. Los Angeles Lakers (don't expect them to really get going until the second half of the year or so, but with LeBron there's no way they actually miss the playoffs... will probably make a big trade for a shooter at the deadline too)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (had them missing the playoffs at the start of the year but Lillard has been on another level and they've finally got some solid role players around their star backcourt... still don't see them any higher than this though, but they'll probably prove me wrong)
7. San Antonio Spurs (they still have the greatest coach of all-time, enough said)
8. Houston Rockets (feels a lot like 2015-2016 for them, only with Carmelo Anthony instead of Dwight Howard)
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9. New Orleans Pelicans (Davis will only be able to do it himself for so long, and we all know he's prone to missing a bunch of games with minor injuries)
10. Los Angeles Clippers (they have some solid depth, but no one star player will hurt them)
11. Memphis Grizzlies (always annoyingly overachieve but the West is too stacked this year)
12. Dallas Mavericks (surprised at how well DeAndre Jordan seems to be doing there, and Doncic looks good... other than that though it looks like another lost season)
13. Sacramento Kings (the hot start won't last, but their young guys have definitely been making some strides)
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (expecting them to just tank now that Butler's gone, Thibodeau might not last the season)
15. Phoenix Suns (well, eventually they'll have to hit on a few lottery picks)
East:
1. Milwaukee Bucks (this team feels A LOT like the 2014-2015 Warriors, one future all-time great surrounded by underrated role players and just needed a good coach to unleash their potential... they have that now)
2. Toronto Raptors (Kawhi is still as good as ever and Lowry is somehow off to one of his best starts to a season, plus they have incredible depth)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (they're officially in win now mode with the Butler trade, but he's caused chemistry problems at both his previous teams and they gave up some key cogs to get him... unfortunately it looks like they're here to stay though)
4. Boston Celtics (seems like a lot of their guys aren't getting involved as much as they should be, particularly Hayward... might have to start bringing either he or Jaylen Brown off the bench, starting 3 SFs doesn't seem to be working very well)
5. Indiana Pacers (still expecting a slight regression from last year now that other teams know they have to take them seriously, but Oladipo could be a borderline MVP candidate if he keeps this up... also how long before they start Sabonis over the underwhelming Myles Turner?)
6. Miami Heat (easily the most boring/mediocre team in the NBA, but they should make the playoffs by default)
7. Brooklyn Nets (this is actually a pretty solid team, what a turnaround from all the damage Billy King did... Caris LeVert should be in the MIP running)
8. Washington Wizards (too talented to miss the playoffs completely in the dreadful East, Wall is starting to look like his old self again too)
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9. Detroit Pistons (Griffin and/or Jackson will get hurt again and screw up their season)
10. Chicago Bulls (they should at least be a playoff contender sooner rather than later, LaVine looks much better than I thought he would)
11. Charlotte Hornets (don't expect Kemba to keep this up, if he regresses back to the mean or gets hurt they're completely screwed)
12. Orlando Magic (they're a point guard away from being a playoff team, but I don't think it happens this year)
13. New York Knicks (depends on how long Porzingis is out, but if he's not back by around Christmas and the playoffs are out of reach they might just keep him out all year)
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (at least for them they got a championship during LeBron's second go-round, because they're going to suck for a while now, also #BlameKevinLove)
15. Atlanta Hawks (on the plus side, Trae Young has looked good, but on the downside, there's everything else)
The Bucks will beat the 76ers and the Warriors will beat the Jazz in the conference finals, then the Warriors will beat the Bucks in the finals.
All-Stars:
West:
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: James Harden
SF: Kevin Durant
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
6: Russell Westbrook
7: Nikola Jokic
8: Damian Lillard
9: DeMar DeRozan
10: Chris Paul
11: Rudy Gobert
12: Paul George
(replacements if needed: Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Klay Thompson... of course they’ll probably find a way to put Klay and Draymond both in because Warriors)
East:
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Victor Oladipo
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Joel Embiid
6: Kemba Walker
7: Ben Simmons
8: Jimmy Butler
9: John Wall
10: Kyle Lowry
11: Blake Griffin
12: Jayson Tatum
(replacements if needed: Al Horford, Andre Drummond, Khris Middleton... Beal isn’t here because there’s no way the Wizards get two all-stars without a drastic improvement and Wall is the bigger name and adds more overall to the team)
Awards:
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (won’t be Davis because I don’t think the Pelicans will win enough, LeBron probably won’t either, Steph and KD cancel each other out, Embiid now has two likely all-star teammates, Kemba and Lillard won’t keep it up, so I think it’s between Giannis and Kawhi and Giannis will win... unless they decide to toss LeBron a bone because it’s probably his last good chance at one)
ROTY: Ben Simmons DeAndre Ayton (none of the top rookies are on good teams so it’s probably between him, Doncic, and Young)
6MOTY: JJ Redick
MIP: Nikola Jokic (don't see them giving it to someone like LaVine or LeVert leading a team to likely 40 wins at most, and I know Jokic has been good for a few years but the Nuggets haven’t taken that next step as a team until this year)
DPOY: *sigh* Joel Embiid
COTY: Mike Budenholzer
EOTY: nobody cares, but I guess Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka for getting LeBron
